Plastic resinous toy parts and method of making and assembling the same



Jan. 12, 1960 P. w. LINDBE RG 2,920,632

PLASTIC RESINOUS TOY PARTS AND METHOD OF MAKING AND ASSEMBLING THE SAMEFiled June 22, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet l FIE. 1

96 P. w. LINDBERG 2,920,682

PLASTIC RESINOUS TOY PARTS AND METHOD OF MAKING AND ASSEMBLING THE SAMEFiled June 22, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 aw MM Jan. 12, 1960 P. w. LINDBERG2,92

PLASTIC RESINOUS TOY PARTS AND METHOD OF MAKING AND ASSEMBLING THE SAME3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed June 22, 1956 United States Patent ()fiice2,920,682 Patented Jan. 12, 1960 PLASTIC RESINOUS TOY PARTS AND METHODOF MAKING AND ASSEMBLIN'G THE SANIE Paul W. Lindberg, Highland Park,11].

Application June 22, 1956, No. 593,219

12 Claims. (Cl. 154-46) This invention relates to plastic resinous toyparts and to a method of making and assembling the same.

In the manufacture of toys such, for example, as toy airplanes, toyboats, and the like, it is customary practice to make the structuralparts of such toys of transparent plastic resinous materials such, forexample, as polystyrene resin, and the like, and for the purchaser toadhesively secure the parts together, which is usually done by boys.However, one of the problems encountered in the use of such prior toysis the fact that it is difficult for a boy properly to center thecomplementary structural parts of the toy so that when the parts areadhesively secured together they present an unsatisfactory assembly joband an unsatisfactory appearance.

An object of the present invention is to provide new and improvedplastic resinous toy parts for structural toys, such as toy airplanes,toy boats and the like, and a novel method of making and assembling suchplastic resinous toys which, in use, overcomes the difficultiesexperienced in the prior art methods of assembling plastic resinoustoys.

A further object of 'the present invention is to provide new andimproved plastic resinous toy parts for structural toys. Such as toyairplanes, toy boats, and the like, and a novel method of making andassembling the same and in the practice of which method thecomplementary parts of the plastic resinous toys are adhesively securedor bonded together in such a manner as to provide a smooth,uriinterrupted outer surface and a resulting neat, trim, workmanlikeappearance.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a new and improvedmethod of centering and locating the complementary structural parts ofplastic resinous toys, such as toy airplanes, toy boats, and the like,so that when the parts are adhesively secured or bonded together theywill be bonded in proper structural relationship relative to each other.

Other and further objects of the present invention will be apparent fromthe following description and claims and are illustrated in theaccompanying drawing which, by way of illustration, shows a preferredembodiment of the present invention and the principles thereof, and whatI now consider to be the best mode in which I have contemplated applyingthose principles. Other embodiments of the invention embodying the sameor equivalent principles may be used and structural changes may be madeas desired by those skilled in the art without departing from thepresent invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a perspective view of the parts of the body or fuselage of atoy airplane as such parts appear at one stage in the practice of thenew method of assembling plastic resinous toy parts; Fig. 2 is aperspective view of the wing structure of a plastic resinous toy,airplane as the same appears at one stage'in, the practice of the newmethod of assembling such toy parts;

Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical sectional view of the toy airplanefuselage shown in Fig. .1;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional detail view illustrating parts of thewalls of the fuselage shown in Figs. 1 and 3 and associated centering orlocating members or tabs;

Fig. 5 is a transverse vertical sectional view of the fuselage shown inFigs. 1 and 3 after the centering or locating members or tabs have beencut therefrom;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a modification of the invention asapplied to the fuselage of a toy airplane;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of another modification of the invention asapplied to the fuselage of a toy airplane;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary exploded sectional view showing the parts of thefuselage illustrated in Fig. 6 as they appear before they are assembled;

Fig. 9 is a transverse vertical sectional view of the modificationillustrated in Fig. 6 showing the parts as they appear after they areassembled and before the centering or locating members or tabs are cuttherefrom;

Fig. 10 is a transverse vertical sectional view of the fuselage shown inFigs. 6, 8 and 9 as it appears after the centering or locating membersor tabs are cut therefrom;

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary perspective view of a part of the fuselage andone of the centering or locating members or tabs embodied in the form ofthe invention illustrated in Figs. 6, 8, 9 and 10;

Fig. 12 is a transverse central vertical sectional view of the toyairplane fuselage shown in Fig. 7 as it appears after the parts areassembled and before the centering or locating members or tabs orelements are cut therefrom;

Fig. 13 is an exploded fragmentary sectional view illustrating the partsshown in Figs. 7 and 12 as they appear before they are assembledtogether;

Fig. 14 is a central vertical sectional view of the toy airplanefuselage shown in Figs. 7, 12 and 13 as it appears after the partsthereof have been assembled and the centering or locating members ortabs or elements have been cut therefrom;

Fig. 15 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating a part of thefuselage and one of the centering or locating members or tabs embodiedin the form of the invention shown in Figs. 7, 12, 13 and 14;

Fig. 16 is a perspective view illustrating a slightly modified form ofthe new plastic resinous toy parts and of the method of assembling thesame as applied to assembling the parts of the body or fuselage of a toyairplane;

Fig. 17 is a transverse sectional view of the toy airplane fuselageshown in Fig. 16 as the parts appear after they have been arranged incomplementary relationship and adhesively secured together;

Fig. 18 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating the parts shown inFigs. 16 and 17 as they appear before they are adhesively bondedtogether; and

Fig. 19 is a transverse central sectional view illustrating the partsshown in Figs. 16, 17 and 18 as they appear after they have beenarranged in complementary relationship and adhesively bonded togetherand the top and bottom centering or locating members cut therefrom.

A typical structural toy made in accordance with the practice of thepresent invention is illustrated, in part, in Fig. l, and is shown ashaving the form of a toy airplane, the fuselage or body of which isgenerally indicated at 10, and includes an upper body member 11 and alower body member 12, each of which is formed of and molded from asuitable plastic resinous material such, for example, as a polystyreneresin, or the like.

The upper body member 11 has a peripheral marginal edge 13 extendingtherearound at the bottom thereof and the lower body member 12 has acorresponding, mating and complementary peripheral marginal edge 14extending therearound at the top thereof.

In the prior art of assembling plastic resinous structural toys it hasbeen customary for the boy or other assembler to provide an adhesivebond between the mat ing marginal edges 13 and 14, as by means of asuitable adhesive, or to employ a solvent for the plastic resin appliedat the mating edges 13 and 14 to soften the resinous material of whichthe parts 11 and 12 are made, at these points, and then place the partsin complementary mating relation and allow the applied adhesive or i thesolvent-softened resin to dry. However, one of the problems experiencedin the prior art practice has been that it has been difiicult in thepractice of such methods properly to center or locate the complementarystructural body parts 11 and 12 since the parts tend to shift whenpressed together and to form an unsightly head of adhesive material onthe outer surface of the toy where the mating edges 13 and 14 cometogether.

In the practice of the present invention I overcome the aforesaiddifficulty experienced in the prior art methods of assembling plasticresinous structural toys by providing a series of spaced upper locatingor centering members or tabs 15 by molding as integral extensions of theside wall of the upper body part 11 and a similar series ofcomplementary suitably spaced lower centering or locating members ortabs 16 which are molded as integral extensions of the side wall of thelower body member 12. Each of the upper centering or locating members ortabs 15 has a centrally arranged downwardly extending male locatingelement 17 formed as a boss thereon and each of the lower centering orlocating members or tabs 16 has a complementary centrally arranged vdownwardly extending female centering element 18 formed as a recess ordepression therein. I

In the practice of the present invention the centering or locatingmembers or tabs 15 and 16 are formed as integral extensions of the bodyparts 11 and 12, respec-' tively, and when the boy or other assembler isready to assemble the complementary structural toy parts 11 and 12, hemay either coat the mating marginal edges 13 and 14 of the parts 11 and12 with a suitable adhesive cement, or thelike, or he may apply asolvent for the plastic polystyrene or other resinous material to themating marginal edges 13 and 14 and then bring the toy parts 11 and 12into complementary and mating relationship with each of the malelocating elements 17 engaged in a corresponding one of the femalelocating elements 18. The thus assembled structural toy parts are thenallowed to stand for a sufficient length of time to enable the adhesivecement applied at the mating marginal edges 13 and 14 to dry, or toallow the solventsoftened resinous material to dry along the matingperipheral edge surfaces 13' and 14 thereof, and thus bond the upper andlower body parts 11 and 12 of the toy together as at 19, in properlyassembled relationship.

After the complementary structural toy parts 11 and 12 have thus beenintegrally bonded together, the boy or other assembler may then take ascissors, or other suitable cutting instrument, and clip off thecentering or locating members or tabs 15 and 16 flush with the sideedges of the side walls of the body parts 11 and 12 with the result thatthe complementary structural body parts 11 and 12 are thus joinedtogether in properly located position relative to each other and thethus assembled toy part presents an uninterrupted smooth outer surfaceand a neat, trim and attractive appearance, as shown in Fig. 5.

Fig. 2 illustrates the present invention as applied to the complementaryparts of another structural toy part, namely, a toy airplane wing, whichis generally indicated at 20, and which may be formed'of polystyrene orother plastic resinous material, and includes an upper wing part 21 anda lower wing part 22 having upper locating tabs 23 andlower locatingtabs 24, respectively, formed thereon andwhich correspond, respectively,to thelocating or centering members or tabs 15 and 16 in the form .ofthe invention illustrated in Figs. 1, 3 and 5.

The method of assembling the parts 21 and 22 of the wing structure 20,shown in Fig. 2, is the same as the method of assembling the parts ofthe fuselage structure shown in Figs. 1, 3, 4 and 5, and the locatingmembers or tabs 23 and 24 are cut from the parts 21 and 22 of the wingstructure 20 after the assembling operation, in the same manner asexplained heretofore in connection with the practice of the invention asapplied to the assembly or the parts of the fuselage shown in Figs. 1,3, 4 and 5.

A modification of the invention is illustrated in Figs. 6, 8, 9 and 10of the drawings which show the invention as applied to the assembly ofthe parts of an airplane fuselage 25, which includes an upper fuselageor body member 26 and a lower fuselage or body member 27.

In the form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 6, 8, 9 and 10 theupper fuselage member 26 has a series of spaced centering or locatingmembers or tabs 28 formed integrally thereon along its lower peripheralmarginal edge 29 and the lower fuselage member 27 has a series of spacedcentering or locating members or tabs 30 7 formed thereon along itsupper peripheral marginal edge.

In-this form of the invention, the male and female centering elements 17and 18, which are embodied in the members 15 and 16, respectively, inthe form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1', 3, 4 and S, areeliminated .and in lieu thereof fastening members in the form of taperedpegs 31 are employed and these fastening members or pegs 31 are drivendownwardly through suitable complementary registered openings 33 and 34which are provided in the centering or locating members or tabs 28 and30, respectively.

After the toy parts 26 and 27 have been adhesively bonded together,along their mating marginal edges, as at 29, in the same manner ashereinbefore described in reference to the form of the inventionillustrated in Figs.

1, 3, 4 and 5 of the drawings, the centering or locating members or tabs28 and 30 and attached locating ele-' ments or pegs 31 are cut from thebody of the fuselage, flush with the outer surface thereof, whereuponthe thus assembled toy parts will present an uninterrupted smooth outersurface and a neat, attractive appearance, as shown in Fig. 10.

1 Another modification of the invention is illustrated in Figs. 7, 12,13, 14 and 15 of the drawings, and is shown as applied to an airplanefuselage 35 which includes an upper body member 36 and a lower bodymember 37. In this form of the invention, the upper fuselage or bodymember 36 has a peripheral marginal flange 38 formed integrallytherewith along its lower peripheral marginal edge and the lowerfuselage or body member 37 has a complementary peripheral marginalflange 39 formed integrally therewith along its upper peripheralmarginal edge. The upper peripheral marginal flange 38 has a series ofelongated spaced slots 40 formed therein and the lower peripheralmarginal flange 39 has a similar series of correspondingly spaced andelongated slots 41 formed therein. I

In the method of assembling structural plastic resinous toy partsaccording to the modification of the'invention illustrated in Figs. 7,12, 13, 14 and 15, tapered pegs 42, similar to the tapered pegs 31, areemployed and after the toy parts 36 and 37 are brought together inassembled relationship, with their mating peripheral marginal edgesadhesively bonded together, as at 43, in the manner hereinbeforedescribed in connection with other forms of the invention, the elongatedslots 40 and 41 will be disposed in registry with each other, in pairs.One of the locating pegs 42 is then inserted through each pair of theregistered slots 40 and 41, whereupon the peripheral marginal flangeportions 38 and 39 and attached pegs 42vare cut or trimmed from the bodyof the fuselage or toy part 35 to provide a smooth uninterruptbd outersurface on the toy and a resulting neat, trim, and attractiveappearance, as illustrated in Fig. 14.

A modification of the new plastic resinous toy parts and the new methodof assembling the same are illustrated in Figs. 16 to 19, inclusive, ofthe drawings. This form of the invention is similar to the form of theinvention illustrated in Figs. 1, 3, 4 and 5 of the drawings and thoseparts which are similar or comparable to parts shown in Figs. 1, 3, 4and 5 have been given similar reference numerals followed by theadditional and dis tinguishing reference character a.

In the form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 16 to 19, inclusive,of the drawings, the upper and male centering or locating member isformed as a continuous outwardly extending lateral flange a 'which is.molded integrally with and extends entirely around the upper bodymember 11a and has a male centering or locating rib 17a formedcentrallytherein on its lower surface, and the lower or female centering orlocating member is formed as a continuous outwardly extending flange 16awhich is molded as an integral part of the lower body member 12a and hasa centrally arranged groove 18a formed therein and extending therearoundon its lower surface. 1

In the practice of that form of the new method illustrated in Figs. 16to 19, inclusive, of the drawings, the upper and lower centering orlocating flange members 15a and 16a are arranged in complementaryrelationship with the male locating element 17a engaged in the femalecentering or locating element 18a and adhesively secured therein as, bysolvent-softening of the polystyrene resin of which the parts may bemade, or by applying a suitable adhesive along the lower marginalsurface 13a of the upper body part 11a and along the upper marginalsurface 14a of the lower body part 12a. Accordingly, when the adhesivebond has dried the flanges 15a and 16a and parts 17a and 18a,respectively, may be cut from the body members 11a and 12a,respectively, flush with the outer surfaces thereof, whereupon the parts11a and 12a will be adhesively bonded together, as at 19a, to provide asmooth outer surface and neat appearance in the assembled toy parts.

It will thus be seen from the foregoing description, considered inconjunction with the accompanying drawings, that the present inventionprovides a new article of manufacture in the form of new and improvedplastic resinous toy parts and a new and improved method of making andassembling the parts of plastic resinous toys, and that the inventionthus has the desirable advantages and characteristics, and accomplishesits intended objects, including those hereinbefore pointed out andothers which are inherent in the invention.

I claim:

1. As a new article of manufacture, complementary plastic resinous toyparts including mating peripheral edge surfaces and adapted to beadhesively bonded together in an assembled relationship along saidmating peripheral edge surfaces, each of said complementary toy partsincluding an outer surface having complementary locating members formedintegrally therewith on its outer surface along and projecting laterallyfrom the said mating peripheral edge surfaces, said locating membershaving a relatively small thickness adjacent said peripheral edges topermit severance therefrom flush with the said outer surfaces of saidtoy parts after the latter have been adhesively bonded together alongthe said mating peripheral marginal edge surfaces, the locating memberson one of said toy parts including means registering with acomplementary means on the locating members of the other of the toyparts with the locating members in abutting relationship for positivelypreventing relative lateral movement between said toy parts and withsaid peripheral edge surfaces in abutting relationship thereby insuringa good adhesive bond between said peripheral edge surfaces.

2. As a new article of manufacture, plastic resinous toy parts asdefined in claim 1 in which each of the said complementary locatingmembers embodies a tab projecting laterally from the outer surface ofone of the said toy parts and a complementary tab projecting laterallyfrom the other of said toy parts, and in which said tabs havecomplementary male and female centering elements formed therein whichengage each other to retain the said parts together in predeterminedalignment.

3. As a new article of manufacture, plastic resinous toy parts asdefined in claim 1 in which each of the said complementary locatingmembers embodies a tab projecting laterally from the outer surface ofone of the said toy parts and a complementary tab projecting laterallyfrom the other of said toy parts, and in which said tabs havingcomplementary male and female centering elements formed therein whichengage each other to retain the said toy parts together in predeterminedalignment, and in which said tabs are arranged in pairs spaced atintervals along the outer surface of the said toy parts, and

in which the male element is formed in the upper tab ofeach of saidpairs of tabs and the female centering element is formed in the bottomtab of each pair of said centering elements.

4. As a new article of manufacture, structural plastic resinous toyparts as defined in claim 1 in which said locating members are arrangedin pairs spaced at intervals along said mating peripheral marginal edgesand in which each of said locating members has a centrally arrangedopening formed therein, with said openings being disposed in registrywith each other and in which a fastening member extends through theregistered openings in each pair of said centering or. locating members,extending centrally therethrough.

5. A new article of manufacture as defined in claim 1 in which saidlocating members are in the form of flange members molded integrallywith each of said toy parts on the outer surface thereof and adjacentits peripheral marginal edge and projecting laterally outwardly from theouter surface thereof, and in which each of said flange members has anelongated slot formed therein with the said slots being disposed inregistry with each other, and in which a fastening member extendsthrough said registered slots.

6. A new article of manufacture as defined in claim 1 in which saidlocating members are in the form of flange members molded integrallywith each of said toy parts on its outer surface and adjacent itsperipheral marginal edge and projecting laterally outwardly from theouter surface thereof, and in which each .of said flange members has aplurality of elongated spaced slots formed therein with the said slotsbeing disposed in pairs in registry with each other, and in which afastening member extends through each pair of said registered slots.

7. A new article of manufacture as defined in claim 1 in which saidlocating members are in the form of flange members molded integrallywith each of said toy parts on its outer surface and adjacent itsperipheral marginal edge and projecting laterally outwardly from theouter surface thereof, and in which each of said flange members has aplurality of elongated spaced slots formed therein with the said slotsbeing disposed in pairs in registry with each other and in which afastening member in the form of a tapered peg extends through each pairof said registered slots.

8. As a new article of manufacture, plastic resinous toy parts asdefined in claim 1 in which each of the said complementary locatingmembers is in the form of a flange projecting laterally from the outersurface of one of the said toy parts and extending therearound, and acomplementary flange projecting laterally from the other of said toyparts and extending therearound, and in which said flanges havecomplementary male and female centering elements formed therein whichengage each other to retain the said parts together in predeterminedalignment relative to each other.

g 9. As a new article of manufacture, plastic resinous toy parts asdefined in claim '1 in which each of the said complementary locatingmembers is in the form of a flange projecting laterally from the .outersurface of one of the said toy parts and extending therearound at itslower marginal edge, and a complementary flange projecting laterallyfrom the other of said toy parts and extending therearound its uppermarginal edge, and in which said flanges have complementary male andfemale centering elements formed therein which engage each other toretain the said toy parts together in predetermined alignment 'and inwhich the male centering element is formed in the upper one of saidflanges and the female centering element is formed in the lower one ofsaid flanges.

10. In a method of making and assembling the parts of plastic resinousstructural toys of the type which include complementary-structural toyparts made of molded plastic resinous materials which are adapted to beadhesively bonded together along mating peripheral marginal edges, theimprovement-which resides in molding locating members integrally .withsaid structural toy parts on the outer surfaces thereof and along saidmating peripheral marginal edges and projecting laterally from the outersurfaces of said parts, providing an adhesive bond along said matingperipheral marginal edges of said toy parts inwardly .of the associatedlocating members, arranging the said toy parts together in assembledrelationship and allowing the said adhesive bond to dry, and thencutting the said locating members from the said structural toy partsflush with the outer surfaces of the said toy parts, whereby thelocating members are entirely removed from toy parts and the two toyparts are secured to one another solely along the mating peripheralmarginal edges thereof 11. The method as defined in claim 10 in whichsaid locating members have openings formed therein, and including thesteps of disposing said openings in the locating members of one toy partin alignment with the openings in the locating members of the other toypart, and extending .a fastening member through each pair of alignedopenings for securing the toy parts in assembled relationship.

12. The method defined in claim 10 in which said locating members are inthe form of laterally projecting flanges, said flanges includingcomplementary male and female centering elements formed integrallytherewith, and including the additional step of inserting the malecentering elements within the female centering elements for securing thetop parts in assembled relationship.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,050,884 Grubman 1. Aug. 11, 1936 2,211,102 Davis Aug. 13, 19402,329,938 Ortiz Sept. 21, 1943 2,448,173 Cowan Aug. 31, 1948 2,652,822Griflith Sept. 22, 1953 2,654,179 Bacon Oct. 6, 1953 2,713,195 HemmerJuly 19, 1955 2,814,159 'Green Nov. 26, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 954,904France June 20, 1949

